Columbia, MO Premises Liability Lawyer

In the state of Missouri, property owners can be held legally responsible for serious injuries resulting from negligent maintenance as well as a failure to warn visitors about hazardous conditions on their property. Property owners are required to keep their property up to certain safety standards which are dictated by building and property codes. When these codes aren’t met and an injury occurs, the victim can file a lawsuit against the owner with help from a Columbia, MO premises liability lawyer.

The term “premises liability” essentially refers to the fact that any property owner is held fully liable for properly maintaining their property and keeping it safe. Failure to keep the property or premises safe means they might be held financially responsible for any injuries or accidents that occur—including the costs of medical treatment, recovery treatment, and any lost wages/emotional suffering, etc.

Types of Hazardous Conditions

There’s a wide range of possible hazards and dangerous conditions that could cause a premises owner to be held liable for an accident on their property. Some of the most common unsafe conditions and hazards include the following:

Some of the places where premises liability accidents often occur including the following locations:

Apartment Buildings

Office Buildings

Parking Structures

Shopping Malls

Schools/Colleges

Hotels

Restaurants

Nursing Homes

When a property owner notices any of the above conditions, they have a legal obligation to fix or clean up the hazard before allowing anyone to enter the area. If a fix cannot be made within a reasonable amount of time, adequate signs or a way to block off the dangerous area must be in place. Adequate lighting must also be in place to ensure the hazard is visible even in poor lighting conditions.

Many of these hazards can result in what’s commonly referred to as a “slip and fall” accident. A slip and fall accident is what happens when someone trips, stumbles, or slips on uneven ground or a hazard and seriously injures themselves on someone else’s property. Slip and fall lawsuits are one of the most common types of premises liability cases.

Negligent Security

Premises liability also covers security measures that businesses and public venues all must ensure are in place to protect visitors. When a business or entertainment venue, for example, fails to hire enough security personnel or does not have security cameras or proper lighting in place to deter criminals, that venue may be able to be held liable for injuries that occur due to a violent crime. Learn more about negligent security claims.

Thinking in Reasonable Terms

It’s important to note that both slip and fall accident and premises liability lawsuits can be incredibly complex. The term “reasonable” will come up quite often when a case is taken to litigation due to the fact that property owners can’t be expected to fix every property hazard immediately. Property owners are given a “reasonable” amount of time to apply fixes, place warning signs or blockades, or apply other preventive measures such as installing a drainage grate instead of repairing an entire roof right away.

The judge or jury will also look at other aspects of the accident scene. Was the victim given a reasonable amount of time to notice the posted signs before approaching the hazardous area? Is the lighting in the area adequate? Did the victim have a legitimate reason for being there? Is it possible that the victim was distracted while walking? In the end, it will be up to the court to decide what’s reasonable to expect of that specific property owner and that specific victim. Every case will vary for this reason, and every decision will be made using every available piece of evidence and witness testimony.

A Columbia, MO Premises Liability Lawyer You Can Trust

Due to the complicated nature of premises liability and slip and fall accident lawsuits, if you feel you have a possible case on your hands, it’s in your best interest to speak to a personal injury lawyer you can trust as soon as possible after the accident occurs. The sooner evidence can be properly gathered, the better your case’s chance of success will be.

Mike Campbell, Columbia, MO premises liability lawyer, has years of experience winning complicated legal cases and will do everything he can to help you and your loved ones receive the financial compensation you need and deserve to get back on your feet again. Contact our offices to learn more or receive a 100% free consultation.

Reviews

Mike and his staff did an incredible job with my personal injury case. Will be recommending to anyone I know that would find themselves in my circumstance.

John Fisher

14:55 03 Apr 18

Mike Campbell is an inspiration to trial lawyers. I've known Mike for 3 years and as a fellow plaintiffs' lawyer, I have been very impressed by Mike's integrity, honesty and skills as a trial lawyer. Mike is simply a decent, caring and compassionate person and someone I enjoy being around.If you get the chance to hire Mike Campbell, you can be rest assured that you've made an excellent choice.

Olivia Moses

21:03 22 Mar 18

Mike is an incredible attorney and very helpful. I definitely recommend! I had a great experience and am so thankful for his help.

Gary Burger

19:34 06 Mar 18

Mike and his team are great lawyers who fight hard for their clients and obtain great results. I highly recommend them.

Guy DiMartino

00:33 21 Feb 18

Mike is an excellent attorney and my referral source in the Columbia area. If you have the need for a criminal defense lawyer or if you’ve been injured in an accident, don yourself a favor and contact Mike.

Nathan S.

22:27 11 Jan 18

I highly recommend Mike as an attorney. He is honest, trustworthy and responsive.

Ryan Stephens

21:15 15 Sep 17

Knowledgeable, eager, dedicated, and friendly are a few words I'd use to describe the experience in working with Mike. Not only is he extremely good at what he does, but Mike is also personable and professional.

DJ mixon

22:29 21 Mar 17

Helped me with My traffic case and did a great job. Felt like he really had my best interest in mind. 10/10 would call on Mike Campbell

Patrick Campbell

00:41 22 Jun 16

Very professional. Fantastic at what he does. Will go the extra mile for you when a lot of lawyers won't. If I could rate over 5 stars I would.